Hoes Before Bros
by Darkly Dreaming Allie
Summary: "Love is overrated - that's why you chose someone who uses you for sex over your best friend. You brought this on yourself, Sasuke. Two-sided love triangles are the least of your problems." - Sasu/FemNaru, Kiba/FemNaru
1. Homewrecker

**A/N:**

_Hi there_

_First of all, I'd like to thank __IntellectualDweebette_ for beta reading this, she's a life saver. 

_This is an AU rated M story, so expect sexual themes, drugs, alcohol, angst and adultery._

_I do not own Naruto, or any of its characters._

_(I may have changed the chapter names to match songs. Don't judge me)_

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Homewrecker**

"That's it. I'm done"

Sasuke raised a brow to the blonde before him. For a second, he thought she was joking. After staring into her big blue eyes, he found himself analyzing the concern and guilt which had been translated by her expressions, realizing how serious she was.

"Done with what?" she looked down, then at him again.

"Keeping secrets" her voice came low and shy, which was mildly unusual.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well" she took a deep breath, playing with her fingers "Aren't friendships supposed to be based on mutual honesty?"

The raven haired's incredulous stare took him some while to reply "You've got to be kidding me"

"I'm not!" the girl yelled "I'm for real now, teme!"

Not in the mood to start a fight, all he did was sigh. Naruko's empty head had the ability to change opinions more than birds could from trees. He'd already lost count how many times he felt the urge to punch the girl, that month alone. Looking around his room, Sasuke took his time. He tried to count all the things she moved from their proper place, others she just threw on the floor. God, she can be so hard sometimes! But again, that's why he liked her in the first place. She was a challenge.

"I think we've past that, don't you?" he stretched, prolonging the words as his arms reached for the ceiling.

She opened her mouth to protest, but decided not to say anything. Well, her conscience wouldn't let her sleep at night if she hadn't at least asked. Naruko wasn't difficult to read, Sasuke was more than aware that those urges came to her from time to time; even so, he'd always find a way around them.

Deciding to occupy her mind with something else, Naruko realized how exposed she was, wearing only an oversized shirt. Bringing Kiba up always made her 10x more embarrassed. Rushing through the room, the blonde started to collect the pieces of her clothing, putting them together like a puzzle.

Watching her mess his room even more was highly entertaining, Sasuke amused himself. She was a hurricane; dropping little ornaments, leaving drawers unclosed, making unnecessary noise. One of the things he loved and hated, how obvious her presence was. Truth be told, how they managed to sustain a secret of such magnitude still kept him up at night. As he loved to state every now and then, Naruko was a shamefully bad liar and a very obtuse person.

It was only after she hit her head underneath the bed that he let out a giggle and decided to help.

"Looking for this?" he teased, holding her bra above his head. The girl blushed.

As she leaned over to get it, Sasuke held it higher "Give me that!" Naruko climbed over him on the bed, trying to reach it without success "Damn it, teme! I'll be late!"

"Late for what?" he easily kept her back with his other hand. The blonde sighed.

"My date. With my boyfriend"

"Oh" a frown formed in his face "right"

The wave of guilt that drowned the girl only minutes ago rose up to him. Her boyfriend, of course.

Kiba Inuzuka. Also known as his best friend. His mood turned upside down as he released Naruko and the bra from his reach. None of them said a word. Sasuke remained in his bed, still cluttered and warm from the sex they had less than an hour before. He could hear her putting clothes back on and gathering things, but didn't dare to look. Why did she have to do this? Why bring him up? Sasuke was over the moon only minutes ago, and now he was feeling like shit. _Well, yes, no one was saying he was the best man alive and deserved to feel good_, but still…

He could deduce everything the girl did only by listening. How little objects were picked and put back to his dresser meant she was probably putting make up on, or brushing her hair, or both; anything to hide what they just did. Naruko's singular scent also filled the room, driving Sasuke to close his eyes. That wasn't a commercial perfume, it was something designed especially for her - he'd know; on a desperate move to get over the Uzumaki, he moved heaven and hell to find out that fragrance's name.

When all the noise stopped, he concluded that Naruko was ready to leave. From the mirror before him, Sasuke could see her checking if all her things were inside her bag. The blonde prepared to walk away, but hesitated at the door. As her hand touched the pommel, he read all the confusion dancing through her face.

"This ends today" her voice came, weak but sure "I can't do this anymore"

The loud "bang" of a door being slammed made Sasuke jump. He stared towards the door for a while, repeating the words to himself. He fell back to the bed, facing the ceiling. That only ever made things harder. If they could stop, then they would. Couldn't she understand? Those words were meaningless.

_Is not like they hadn't said it a hundred times before._

The buzzing on wood brought him back to reality. A few missed calls from his personal financial advisor, some from the secretary and a text from his older brother and associate in business, Itachi. He took the phone in hand, glad to have a distraction. The message read "I won't be attending this afternoon's meeting. I'm counting on you, little brother".

How convenient, Sasuke thought. And the fact that the president with whom the meeting would be was desperately trying to marry his way into the Uchiha family had nothing to do with it. His daughter was about Sasuke's age, and even though they never met in person, the single thought of her already gave him the creeps. Numerous times now the brunet managed to avoid going out for dinner with them but, as the vice-president of the Uchiha Bank of Japan loved to remind him, that family was crucial for the company's growth.

According to his watch, three hours separated him from the meeting. After calling back to his secretary, Sasuke got up and moved straight to the shower. As a matter of fact, he didn't even know what that meeting was about. That was what, the fifth that month? And they specifically asked for Sasuke to attend one. Usually, he'd find some sort of excuse and send Suigetsu instead, but not this time. Something on his gut tingled and he got the awful feeling that the daughter would be there too. After twisting the shower handle, the younger Uchiha allowed himself some time to relax and let the steam take over. Once the warm air became cold, Sasuke went back to his room. Still undressed, with only a white towel wrapped around his waist, he walked over to the glass wall and looked outside. The building where he lived was located in the very center of Tokyo, and his penthouse held the last two floors. A rather big apartment for only one person, but since there were staff working there seven days a week, Sasuke appreciated the space. Almost as if in autopilot, he dragged himself to the closet.

It was much better than living with Itachi Uchiha at the mansion. Not that they didn't get along, but the relation between the two brothers was oddly formal for family standards. And without mentioning, that house made Sasuke feel ghastly lonely. Yes, he lived alone here too, but at least memories of their childhood weren't shoved to his face every time he opened his eyes. And he already had to see Itachi every day at work, anyway.

Properly attired and presentable in a black tailored suit, the Uchiha stood in front of the mirror for final adjustments. After securing the silver brooch shaping the family symbol on his right lapel, he took his smartphone and emailed all members of his team. The first one to answer was Suigetsu's secretary, Sakura something. She spoke for all others, securing Sasuke that everyone was ready. Now, all he had to do was get his suitcase from the office downstairs and be on his way.

The first thing you'd see when walking into Sasuke's study was picture of him with Kiba, that his friend super glued to the corkboard above the desk. It was from a college party, years ago. It wasn't hard to catch their personalities from only that frozen moment; Kiba had a wide grin across his face, eyes closed and slightly-sharper-than-usual canine teeth showing. The Uchiha, on the other hand, couldn't look more listless. Onyx eyes weren't even facing the camera. His posture was slightly bowed, due to the weight of his friend's arm around his shoulders – Sasuke was some good inches taller than him. The memory of that day still remained in the man's mind so intensely it could have been the night before.

It was some sort of fraternity party, celebrating the end from recess and welcoming the new students to their new university life. Not being matriculated in the Konoha University, Sasuke had no business at that gathering what so ever; it wasn't a secret to anyone that the younger Uchiha hated parties and large groups of people. And yet, after cursing, stressing and complaining, the Inuzuka managed to drag his friend along with him. _"It's my first college party, goddammit! I don't know a single soul there, Sasuke! Just come with me, bro. You won't be bored, I swear! Dude, there'll be college girls there! College - Girls!"._

Having heard that same excuse more than a thousand times before, the young man wasn't convinced – but went anyway. To be fairly honest, Sasuke wasn't that excited for college girls as his best friend, he'd been with many before. And so far, none of them drew his attention. Kiba had disappeared from sight ages before, obediently following some girl around the house. The place was crowded, loud and dark. He'd been skulking from one room to another for too long. Kiba wasn't returning anytime soon, and he was ready and set to walk away. That's when he saw her.

Damn, she was impossible not to see! How hadn't he noticed that girl earlier?! Long blonde hair, swaying by the music, as her own body moved along. He could see that the she wasn't used to dancing, but her intense moves and twists were none less than captivating. Sasuke's eyes were glued to that girl's outlines, perfectly traced by the short orange dress she wore. Her hips, her waist, her chest, her legs… her entire being was hypnotic. The Uchiha could easily say he'd never seen such beauty. Not until she noticed his stare. Almost as if smelling his desire, the blonde turned her face at him, gazing him with her livid, bright, blue eyes. Sasuke felt his within burn. Watching her was far more entertaining than his entire night; he wasn't planning to stop.

The girl didn't bother to stop dancing. As a matter of fact, Sasuke could easily see she enjoyed being appraised like that. And appraise was the mere tip of the iceberg. The wild smirk that escaped from his lips made the blonde roll her eyes and turn them away. That only made his grin wider. She could disguise it all she wanted; Sasuke knew she was dancing for him. _And God, he wanted more_.

Finding his way into girl's pants was never an issue; in reality, females would deliberately throw themselves at him. Not this one, 'though. She remained impassive and uninterested while Sasuke practically ate her with his eyes. Such refusal made him angry, not being used to chase other than being chased. The anger turned him on more, something to eager for. An Uchiha gets what an Uchiha wants. And oh, was he getting her!

Soft and convinced, the raven haired walked towards the girl. He could sense the heat emanating from her body, slowly crawling onto him as he got closer. Onyx eyes still delighting with the vision, slowly consuming every inch of her uneasy shape. Both stopped moving once they were face to face. He could feel his fingertips – _fuck, not only his damn fingers_ – tingle and burn. Sights instantly drown to one another, he knew she could feel it too. The nearer they were, the harder it got to move. The blonde's glance was intense and defiant, so much that he could read "_Well, with what the fuck can I help you"_ carved into blueness.

He's response was a smirk, two could play that game. Now his eyes were the ones giving orders. _Keep dancing._

The blonde apparently understood, because she immediately started to move, but without breaking their eye contact. He wouldn't dare, _no, he couldn't bear_, to look away. She was so dangerously close, body nearly brushing against his, so that Sasuke could feel the electrical currents pulsating from her to him. The radius of her heat was beyond him, keeping others away. He wanted to touch her, grab her, feel her sun-kissed skin, the taste of her rapturous lips and yet, the anticipation of finally doing it kept him motionless.

The dancing lights became still. The music faded away from his ears. His body suddenly turned a hundred degrees higher, with senses getting sharper than a knife. A single touch was all it took. The moment her hand landed on his forearm, a spark erupted. Spark? Much more, the entire room felt it. Sasuke didn't know why was it so hard to just lift his hand and reach her before, but now that they did, he knew he couldn't stop. Without even thinking, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body against his. If it weren't for every muscle on his body screaming and tingling, he'd say he was dreaming. His whole mind was boiling; he couldn't focus on anything other than how much he wanted to take her right there, on the floor, with all those strangers as audience.

He could see his torturing desire reflected in her clear eyes. She was as anxious as him. Not daring to get apart from him either, the blonde ran her hand through his torso, feeling the defined muscles beneath it, finding her way around his body, with the same hunger as he outlined hers, both aggressive and urgent, too rapt to care. Sasuke'd been hard for ages now, his member pulsating against her inner thighs, he couldn't wait anymore. The girl obviously felt it, such excitement hard to go unnoticed, she couldn't wait either. Her smirk was his last drop. Barely controlling his own body, Sasuke launched his lips on hers, like a man who's been starving for months would do at sight of food. She responded to it with the same intensity, digging her nails into the back of his neck, tearing gasps and grunts of pleasure from his throat. Sasuke gave increasing pressure to the kiss, exploring all of her could he get a reach of.

Eager for more, he moved his lips down to her neck, biting and sucking, while pushing their bodies forward 'till they reached the limit of the room. His hands now traveled around her thighs and ass, desperate to rip the dress off, forcing her up against the wall, while her burning hands went from top to bottom of his bare back, from underneath his shirt. Being this pushed against her made his groin hurt pleasurably, but the wait was driving him insane. He pressed his thigh between her legs, making the girl moan and grab his hair, ferociously pulling his head back so she could stare at him, eyes clouded with desire, skin flushed with heat, sweat sliding from the corner of her face while she nibbled her lower lip. It was now or never.

"_I don't think I got your name" he said, hoarsely._

"_Who the fuck cares?" her groan came like music to his ears "Or do you need a name to scream?"_

"_I won't be the one climbing walls tonight"_

The Uchiha felt the heat of that night climb up his body, and he found himself loosening his tie. Damn, how could he be like that? He touched her less than an hour ago! He shook his head, pushing the memory away. He was still at his apartment, he was still staring at a picture with his best friend and he still had a meeting to attend to.

Looking down to his hand, he noticed the buzzing phone he still held. Probably Suigetsu, trying desperately to reach him, like a kid who lost their mother at the grocery shop. _Can't they survive a day on their own, fuck? _Now unlocking the screen, Sasuke was greeted by somebody else's text.

"_Bro, I need to talk with you, ASAP. It's big"_

It was Kiba's. His onyx eyes stared up from the screen back at the image of them right across the room.

Things couldn't get any worse than this.


	2. Call It What You Want

_**A/N:**_

_Thanks to everyone who liked and decided to follow this :)_

_(Shot out to IntellectualDweebette for being awesome!)_

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Call It What You Want**

_Cheating_.

Naruko always thought that to be a strong word.

How about, _I-still-love-you-but-I-sleep-with-your-best-friend_?

"Hey lovely" a playful voice called her.

She raised her head to the new arrival. With all that crap playing around her head, Naruko's best camouflage was a wide grin. She was waiting for Kiba outside one of the metro stations, for she had no car. As usual, none of them were on time, but since Sasuke's penthouse was only two three stops away from their meeting point, she managed to get there within minutes. Kiba made his way at her, hands in pockets, smiling ear to ear.

"You're late" she accused, before he took her between his arms.

"I just saw you getting here less than two minutes ago" he kissed the tip of her nose "Besides, I bought our tickets online, so stop bitchin'"

The blonde smirked "What are we waiting, then?"

Going to the movies was something Kiba was very fond of. A bit of a turn off, if you ask her, but she couldn't blame it all on him – she was the one to ask for that specific film. Not that cuddling in the dark with him was bad, she enjoyed it. Only not four dates in a roll. You don't see other couples around their age with such domestic relationship.

The brunet tangled his fingers with hers as both moved towards the entrance. She wasn't in the mood of starting a conversation, but she didn't want to raise any suspicions, either; and Uzumaki Naruko never shuts up.

"How's Akamaru?" she asked, earning a laugh from her partner. Akamaru was his dog.

"Annoyed, to say the least. He hates that I can't bring him to the apartment" he kept his eyes forward. Naruko caught a trail of grief in his tone "I'm not happy either, ya know. He kept ignoring me the whole time"

"He just misses you" the blonde squeezed his hand, making he pull her closer to place his arm around her shoulders.

"He misses you too" Kiba admitted "You should come along next time"

"That sounds good" she nodded.

They chattered about their week while getting popcorn. Even though she didn't feel like talking, it was nearly inevitable with him. His enthusiasm appeared to drag her out of any pit of misery she might fall in. He meant all he said, genuinely interested in her boring college studies. Usually, they'd see each other practically every day at Konoha University, but Kiba had taken that week off to spend time with his family.

The main reason why Naruko felt lonely, in the first place.

She'd heard songs about it, searched articles online, asked Yahoo... Nothing. Well yes, everybody loves to brag about how beautiful and amazing love is. But people also tend to leave out the part when the spark becomes an ember. The closest thing she found to their situation was "sexual disinterest". It annoyed her that those things were only supposed to happen when you're 40, not 21. Kiba and her weren't even together that long. And also, using those words implied she didn't like to have sex with him, which wasn't true. He was good, better than all others she'd been with before, actually;

_Not as good as Sasuke, _a voice in the back of her head whispered. Naruko blinked a few times as their order was delivered.

Packed with two family-sized popcorn bags and sodas in hand, the couple made their way to the movie room. The Inuzuka allowed her to climb the stairs first, giving directions as they went. Not that they were needed; ever since their very first date, Kiba'd make sure to always buy the same two. Naruko found it extremely cute – _the first ten times_. After that, she started to hate it and would find something wrong with them every time.

So when he said numbers she wasn't used to, it was like music to her ears. _Bless all gods._

"New seats?!" the girl couldn't hide her surprise and excitement. Kiba rubbed his hair, embarrassed.

"Oh yeah, about that…" they both sat down, he had a dry grin on "I couldn't get our seats. I'm really sorry"

Naruko laughed, and then turned to place both hands around his face "That's okay, silly. Really. I know you meant well, but who cares where we're sitting? I sure don't!" she winked "As long as I'm with you, nothing else really matters"

Kiba leaned forward and kissed her softly. It was a delicate kiss, the kind you only get in long term relationships. He always put her happiness above everyone else's, including his own. To think he actually felt bad for something like that…

A buzz on his chest interrupted their kiss, making Naruko sink in her seat. The brown haired looked at his phone, probably reading a text, and smiled at it.

"So" he started, putting the mobile away "How's Sasuke?"

A cold lighting ran through the blonde's entire spine, making her sit straight, highly uncomfortable.

"Sasuke?!" her voice came defensive and slightly high-pitched "How the fuck should I know?!"

"I thought you were with him?" he insinuated, raising a brow.

"Why would you say such thing?!" she didn't dare to look at him.

"We talked about this, kitten" he scolded, as if the matter made him tired "If you ask nicely, he'll do it"

She stared at him, with her mouth hanging open "...What?"

"The internship?" he offered. Naruko blinked, before finally understanding. And not liking it a bit.

"I don't need his help, thank you very much" she grumbled, putting on a face. Kiba brought his hands up to rub his forehead.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he complained "All you've gotta do is ask him"

"I'll not work for that bastard albino worm with legs. I refuse" the blonde crossed her arms.

Kiba rolled his eyes "You're being childish"

"You don't think I can get an internship on my own, do you?" she hissed "I don't need _your little friend_ doing me any favors" she spat the mention of Sasuke.

"That's not what I meant" he sighed "But you know how big his company is. Imagine having that on your resume?"

"There're other big companies out there" she mumbled. Kiba cupped her face, turning her eyes to his.

"Your deadline is next Friday" she looked down "Stop being so difficult. What's more important? Your little strife with him," his gaze became very serious "or your scholarship?"

They both stood in silence, and before she could even think of an answer, the lights went off, for the movie had begun. Kiba laid his back on the chair and she snuggled on him. The opening credits were rolling, but the blonde wasn't paying any attention. He was right, Naruko knew that. She just didn't want to admit. How could she possibly bring herself to even _ask_ Sasuke for help? They despised each other. And Kiba, more than anyone, was aware of that. He'd tried to mediate things between them before; after all, the two of them were _his two favorite people._

When Naruko first met Sasuke, she hadn't the foggiest idea who he was, and couldn't care less. Neither of them bothered to share a name or anything for at all. After practically swallowing each other up at that college party, they took a cab back to her place, tearing pieces of clothes along the way.

At least, she thought it was a cab. She didn't remember calling anyone, and the car – which she was pretty sure it was black – magically appeared for them, doors open and all. Sasuke groaned some question, and she managed to gasp her address. The minute they got inside, he threw her back against the seat, sliding his hands through her waist and thighs, leaning on top of her as his lips brushed against her chin, slowly making his way down vertically, to her crotch. Naruko could feel her entire body shiver with electric volts going up and down, not able to focus on anything. When the car stopped, she couldn't even remember her name. Neither of them paid the taxi driver, too busy to care.

They stood by the front door, hardly separating their lips, other than to breath and moan. He held her against the building wall, was they consumed each other. Naruko was slightly annoyed, _why weren't they halfway upstairs by now?_ The shock of the realization vanished as fast as it arrived, _she had forgotten her keys_.

Her keys, her cell, her purse, her documents, _her dignity_… Oh, who gives two fucks?

Groping through the wall where she was being pressed on, the blonde managed to press all the buttons on the intercom. After a few complaints from her neighbors, the door finally opened. They ran through the hall and rushed up the stairs, because the lift was taking too long to come (in the heat of the moment, the fact that the elevator never worked _at all _slipped from Naruko's mind). Trying to climb the stairs while tangled with somebody else's body was harder than it looked, and she'd never seen that many steps. Probably angry with how slow and clumsy she was, Sasuke lifted the girl and carried her up himself. Amazed by his determination, she nearly forgot to warn that her apartment was in the fifth floor.

Naruko released herself from the man's strong wrap to get the emergency key. Being the perfect air head, Naruko had her share of spare keys scattered all around town. After collecting the one hidden in the fern hanging from the ceiling, she had some difficulty hitting the keyhole, since Sasuke had his hands on her breasts, pinching and squeezing while his tongue teased the girl's neck. Again, the Uchiha had to take charge of the situation, forcing his hand over hers, getting them in.

Now was her time to get angry. _Who the hell does he think he is?_

On a sudden move, the Uzumaki turned him around and started to thrust him into the loft, tossing him against the sofa. When she placed herself on top of him, he realized why the change. It was a power dispute. A wicked grin spread across his face before he allowed himself into the girl's game, desperate to take her. And so they did, rolling, scratching, biting and groaning over the night. And the night after that, and the one after that, and the one after – and all the mornings in between…

The blonde jumped in surprise when a wave of laughter ran across the cinema room. She disguised herself and laughed too, hoping that Kiba hadn't noticed anything.

_Talk about bad luck._

"Are you okay?" he whispered, placing his arm around her shoulders "You're hot"

"I'm fine" she lied. The brunet glanced the popcorn bag, forgotten in her lap.

"You sure? You barely ate that" he motioned.

"I'm rationalizing, so it'll last the whole movie"

He smiled and didn't say anything else. Forcing herself to eat the now cold and disgusting popcorn, Naruko tried to keep track of the plot for the rest of the film, shoving away every thought of Sasuke with an imaginary baseball bat as they came.

* * *

The movie ended what seemed to her an eternity after that. They cuddled and had a make out session, as every other couple does. Interrupted by the lights, they laughed while leaving, being the only ones left on the room. Naruko started to babble about how hungry she was, and in what world one package of popcorn would be enough to satisfy her, and just how disappointed she was on Kiba because he wasn't as hungry. It continued on a roll of fires being shot from her side and chuckles from his until they reached the outside of the movie theater, towards the street where Kiba's car was parked.

"All right" he said, leaning against the vehicle "Where to now?"

A foxy grin from his girlfriend was all the answer he needed.

With a blink of an eye, Naruko snapped and started to run through the sidewalk. Some of the people around stopped to stare, rather surprised. She dodged a few pedestrians, bumped into others, apologizing while giggling to herself. Kiba chortled, letting his head fall backwards. Curious walkers now watched him, wondering what he might do next. The brunet stretched his arms forward, grinning widely. He waited a few seconds to give his girlfriend a nice head start, and then started to chase her.

"You'll never catch me!" she shouted at him, turning a corner.

"You wish!" he howled back, still holding back from laughing.

Just like little children, they were always racing each other places. You'd figure that Naruko, with her inexhaustible source of energy, was not to be matched. Kiba, however, was remarkably fast. She was smaller and skinnier, yes, but the blonde was also clumsy and a bit uncoordinated, and that definitely made her slower; he was agile, precise. With his sharp reflexes, the Inuzuka could easily run past people on the street, without even touching them, like a thunderbolt.

Like a wolf after his prey.

"HOLD!" she yelled, launching her arms to the sky "Traffic lights!"

She was on the verge of a busy avenue, stuck with a red light. Even with the distance between them considerably smaller now, and they being on the same block, she still had a few good meters of advantage.

Kiba stopped, waving at her "Loser pays all, whatcha say?" he called.

"You're on, bitch" she snapped back, doing a 'v' sign with her fingers.

Naruko kept her cerulean eyes locked to his liquid mahogany iris. The mischievous smirk on her face reflected perfectly the one he had. She was mentally counting down for the traffic light to open, and knew he was too. Naruko rarely won these races, and when she did, it was because he let her. That wasn't enough to make her give up, though. Nonetheless, it was always fun to try. And, she was always amazed with how he looked whenever they did it. The sexy grin, the glowing skin, how messy his hair got… Going beyond his physical, what caught her attention the most was the careless child-like sparkle on his eyes.

It felt amazing to know the effect she could cause.

Due to being so distracted, Naruko didn't notice when the light turned green. The Inuzuka, of course, took the cue and sped off. The girl cursed and started to run too, snaking through the crosswalk, hoping the crowd would disrupt him. One more turn and she'd be on Ichiraku's street, less than 10 meters away. So close, she could already smell it! Damn, even _taste it_! She was going to win that frickin race, fair and square, for the first damn time!

Overjoyed, the blonde looked back to her boyfriend. She wanted to see the look on his face. He was close, but not enough to overrun her. Kiba was still smiling, but his expression changed suddenly.

"Naru, WATCH OUT!"

It all happened pretty fast. When Naruko turned forward, she had about a nanosecond to see a vertical shape inches from her face. It was already too late.

**BANG!**

One minute she was running towards victory, the other she had her back glued to the ground. Her entire face was throbbing, and it seemed that her nose had been pounded into her skull. Her eyes were shut tight and she could swear something flashed through her mind right after the crash. It looked like those sparkle candles once lit.

_D__id I just fuckin see stars?! _

Her face started to burn and a sharp sensation – and a warm liquid – spread continuously from her nose bridge. Something inside her mouth felt strange, and she moved her tongue to find out what it was. She only realized when she sorrowfully spat it out. A tiny chunk of her tooth.

_Fantastic._

* * *

Naruko was sitting on the table, holding an ice bag of the size of a fist against her nose. It was ugly, very ugly. A side cut and some impressive bruises now decorated her tanned face. Not to mention she lost a piece of her front lower tooth. And the headache that was about to explode her brain.

After the accident, Kiba drove her back to his apartment, placed her on the table and gave her a soft cloth and a roll of paper tissues so she could try to stop the bleeding. She'd been she interspersing them with the ice pack for the past ten minutes. He asked her how she felt, offered pain killers and softly kissed around her face. He took every precaution to make sure she was okay. Then he burst out laughing. _Typical._

She sat patiently while her boyfriend bended over, holding his own stomach, face red as a tomato, practically losing his breath, laughing so much tears welled on the corner of his eyes. It took him a few minutes, but once he calmed down, his next move was to get his flat mate to watch over her. The brunet wanted to drive to the nearest pharmacy and get some first aid gear, but he also didn't wasn't leaving her alone. Kiba was now gone, and her just acquired babysitter was standing against the fridge, looking enormously uninterested.

"I can't believe you ran into a lamp post" he said weary.

"Shut your whore mouth, Shikamaru" she snarled "You fuckin' lazy prick!"

"Gezz," he sighed "how troublesome"

Ever since he got accepted into Konoha University, Kiba lived at this apartment. It was pretty decent (more than hers, at least) and only a 10 minute walk away from the campus. Even being able to afford the university's full expense, and consequently the place's rental, by himself, he opted for a flat mate. And the chosen one was Nara Shikamaru, a computer engineering student. The guy was an undisputed genius; he had a full scholarship and was going to graduate a year early _with honors_, the bastard. Spite of being lazy and quite tedious, Naruko thought him to be an okay person.

"How does it look?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Bad" he shrugged.

Shikamaru scratched his belly and yawned before dragging himself to sit on the couch in the living room. The apartment had no divisions between there and the kitchen, so he was still within the blonde's sight. As he sank into the sofa, his spiky brown hair pulled into a high ponytail went upwards, giving him an appearance similar to a pineapple. The Nara lifted his face to observe hers, narrowing his dark eyes.

"Ino tells me you still don't have an internship" he pointed. Naruko raised a brow.

"She told you right. Why? You got me a job?" she leaned forward, expectantly. Shikamaru shook his head "What then?"

"You have 'till Friday"

"Oh, thanks mate" the blonde croaked sarcastically "I had no idea"

He gestured to her freshly wrecked face "How do you expect to get through an interview with that?"

"What interview?" she responded bitterly "I sent over a hundred resumes and got shit back. No one's interested in hiring an inexperienced orphan"

Shikamaru meditated for a few seconds, carefully studying his friend's girlfriend. He shrugged before casually releasing: "Sasuke would".

Instead of tensing up, Naruko let out a deep breath, defeated. She knew he was right, she knew Kiba was right, she knew everyone was right. It was her third year of financial law school; where else would she find a better job than in the Uchiha Bank of Japan? But she'd never get in without Sasuke moving some sticks, that was for sure. The lone thought of merely asking for his help, and worse – working for him, went against every bone in her body but, what choice did she have?

"No, he wouldn't. He hates me"

The look the Nara gave her could easily melt her face. It was angry, revolted, verging to the disgust. Naruko suddenly felt her entire back tense. _Why is he looking at me like that?_

"Not enough, apparently" he spat out "God knows what'd happen if he hated you _less_"

The temperature of the room dropped drastically. Even with the protesting pain, the girl slowly lowered her hand and the ice bag. His stare was still piercing through her brain.

_No. No fucking way._

She could still hear his voice echoing in her mind. Shikamaru was smart; he wouldn't just say something like that. It could be the crash, his insinuation, the pressure of university or it all together, but Naruko's lips shivered.

On the other room, the Nara brought his fingertips together and closed his eyes, giving her privacy. A noise came from the hall, and they both recognized the rattling of keys.

"But that," he sighed, just in time for Kiba to walk in "is none of my business"

* * *

**_A/N:_**

_I intend to post the next chapter sooner than I did this one, so don't worry hahaha_

_There's one thing I want to ask you guys, though:_

_How do you feel about sexual content? I mean, so far I've only hinted about it, but I could write the scene itself. I just wanna know what you guys think :)_

_Anyway, 'til next time!_


	3. Friends Will Be Friends

_**A/N:**_

_As always, a huge thanks to everyone supporting this._

_And to the lovely IntellectualDweebette for always helping me out :3_

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Friends Will Be Friends**

For being resident at the penthouse, and potentially the only introvert on the building, Uchiha Sasuke had his own elevator. It conveniently went from the lobby straight to his entrance hall. Initially, he didn't think such thing existed, yet was profoundly grateful for it – all privacy was welcome, and lift talks gave him headaches. Another pro was that he never had to wait while others held the damn thing for whatever reasons.

Even so, avoiding his neighbors wasn't an easy task. All inhabitants, no exceptions, were forced to wait for their respective vehicles on the outside of the reception. And the raven hoped that, for it being a particularly miserable Saturday morning, he'd be able to move by unnoticed. Well, he didn't. One of the receptionists bowed slightly to Sasuke. He was an excitable young man, and new to the job.

"Good morning, Uchiha-sama" he greeted "I saw you coming down through the camera, your car should be here any minute"

_And also disturbingly creepy._

The young Uchiha nodded and kept moving. If he wasn't careful enough, the kid might as well start a conversation – Sasuke had seen it happen.

There were two other people waiting for their cars, both young women. The blonde one was ferociously yelling at her phone in ways Sasuke was unfortunately familiar to. She was the one to fight with his real estate agent for the penthouse, and he had to endure a lot of her Russian cursing. A white limousine parked, and she remained still, tapping her foot until the driver opened the door for her. He and the other girl watched while the car left.

"Good morning, Sasuke-san" she said timidly.

Hyuuga Hinata, heiress to the Hyuuga Corporations, was an old acquaintance of his. They'd shared every school and preparatory academy ever since they learned how to talk, for being burdened with an important surname required the best, and there weren't that many places worthy of such title. That didn't mean they were necessarily friends, but they knew each other well enough.

She was, though, a very dear friend of Kiba's. What surprised the raven, since Hinata was even more reserved and introverted than he was. The heiress and his friend developed a bond over young school years, but she didn't spend time with them that much. Not that the Inuzuka didn't try; he was always dragging everyone around all the time. Especially now, that Hinata was also at Konoha University. Instead of going straight into the company, like Sasuke did, the dark haired girl decided to take a few years and study business. Therefore, the one learning the way into the family company was her cousin, Hyuuga Neji, with whom Sasuke had meetings several times before.

"Good morning, Hinata" he answered, returning the nod.

Her pearlescent eyes moved to look at something behind him. "I believe that is your car" she informed.

Sasuke turned, just in time to see the black car park right by his side. The valet held the door open and the Uchiha gave the girl one last glance before getting in. After settling into his seat, he allowed the soft engine purr to relax his mind, with hands resting on the beige leather steering well. _Alone at last._

The car moved swiftly and softly, and its noise was barely imperceptible. He enjoyed the calmness which the vehicle provided, with absolutely nothing to distract him. The powerful sound system was there, waiting for the use which never got, but the young Uchiha was impassive whenever driving. His phone wasn't even on, for every ride was a moment to escape reality, for Sasuke to be alone with his thoughts. Nothing else could lure his attention.

Which was why he hated giving lifts.

It was bad enough to have someone else with him, and people tended to not to be quiet. Kiba especially; it was almost as one of his friend's joys in life was to annoy him. Every time they drove together, the Inuzuka would open all windows, turn the radio on and chat all the way.

"_What a shame_" the voice spoke _"I thought you _liked_ sharing our stuff…"_

Pale hands tightened on the wheel. The raven shook his head, silencing the voice and burying it in the depths of his mind; _that itself_ could be distraction enough, so he was silently thankful for seeing the outlines of his destination. Sasuke stopped the car and move straight from the people that tried to greet him, anxious to get to his office.

The headquarters of the Uchiha Bank of Japan was close to being his second home. He was so used to its architecture that walking around blindfolded would be child's play. He followed the known path and barely glanced at the security by turnstiles in the lobby, stopping only at the common reception area designed for Uchihas, and few others of higher occupations, only. Waiting for the lift, Sasuke found himself loosening the knot of his tie, feeling suffocated. Someone called his name, but the raven didn't even blink before getting in the elevator and pushing his floor button, turning around to meet his own onyx eyes reflected on the mirror.

"_Something wrong, bro?" _the voice sneered.

Eyelids shut together tightly, and a deep breath left through the young man's lips. He emptied his mind, counting backwards from ten. _It's been three days_, he thought, _you know this is the worst part_. The trip up to the 57th floor was long enough for him to calm down. He was used to it; the voice had been torturing him for a while now. It would come within a week after sleeping with her, like a ghost to haunt over his days. The raven knew it wasn't the real Kiba, but that didn't stop it from twisting his entire mood.

Right after the elevator doors opened, Sasuke's path was blocked by a small form. He looked down, dark brows raising for the woman before him.

"Uchiha-kun!" she exclaimed, quickly moving back from the man "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you!" she was now looking down, noticeably intimidated. "It won't happen again, I promise!"

"It's fine, Sakura" he assured, continuing on his way through the hall. The pink haired girl followed him.

"Ahm, Suigetsu-san wishes to see you in his office" she informed, keeping pace with the Uchiha. "He said it's important"

The raven stopped to stare at her. "What does he want?"

"I'm sorry, but that I don't know for sure" she smiled, cheeks going slightly red "But it might have something to do with your friend, since he's here too."

He didn't even had to ask who the friend was. Figuring that he might as well get it over with, Sasuke turned around towards his advisor's office. "Thank you, Sakura" he added when she continued to follow him.

"Just doing my job"

His friend's secretary restrained herself to her semi-office, consisted of a small section on the financial department. Well, Sasuke's _private department_, since there was only one employee there. The silver sign on the door read 'Hozuki Suigetsu – Financial Adviser'. The raven didn't bother to knock, ignoring Sakura's offer to announce him instead.

Rather than actually working, Suigetsu was spread on his chair, feet over the desk and vanilla milk-shake in hand. All curtains were closed and the lights were off; the modern TV, installed there under the excuse of professional needs, was on and displayed a wrestling match in HD. On the couch by the wall across the TV, also bought under same questionable reasons, was Inuzuka Kiba, sharing a similar unconcerned position as the light haired man. The Uchiha slammed the door behind him and turned on the lights, not surprised at all. If he was hoping for a change in behavior from the two men, it didn't come. Neither of them seemed to care that Sasuke's last name was on the top of the building.

"What now?" he grunted, clearly in a bad mood. On the fair side, he shouldn't be that annoyed; Gods knew that Suigetsu showing up on a Saturday _at all_ was far more than usual. "It must be important, since you cared to pay us a visit before lunch-time" he added with a sarcastic tone.

The man grinned "Someone's been chewing lemon" the gaze intensified. "Good morning to you too, sunshine" said, sucking from his straw "Kiba and I have been discussing business"

"Business?" Sasuke turned his head to Kiba "What business?"

"Yep". He said, ignoring half the question, playing with a stress ball Suigetsu kept in his office "I had to take manners into my own hands, ya know, since _someone_ refuses to reply their text messages" he accused.

"I've been busy. Unlike the two of you, I have a company to run" he returned acidly, before furrowing his brows "How did you get up here, anyway?" the two other men shared glanced and shrugged.

"I come up here all the time. Might as well get my own VIP card, don't ya think?" The Inuzuka smirked, throwing the ball towards Sasuke, who chose to just divert it.

"I strongly disagree" he affirmed "What is it then? I'm listening now"

Suigetsu was the one to speak "Before that, you heard about Naomi-san?" he asked. The raven sent him an inquisitive glare – Naomi was his personal secretary. "So, you just missed her. Sacked herself, about an hour ago"

"She… quit" Sasuke blinked, already anticipating the headache that would follow "That's just perfect. Without any prior notice?"

"That's right" the light haired nodded, "The woman couldn't put up with your crap for not even a week more" the last bits were spoken mid laughing. The Uchiha sighed.

"Whatever" he said after mulling over it. The grin on Suigetsu's face went wider.

"I was thinking…" he started, shifting position in his chair "Because of your stuck-up-asshole fame, it'd take weeks to find you a new secretary. Assuming you'd like her, that is. So, I it occurred to me to make things easier to everyone" he made a pause to pick on Sasuke a bit more "Just take Sakura"

The Uchiha studied his employed/annoying friend before answering. "Fine"

And so he turned around to walk away, towards his own office. The raven heard rushed footsteps following him and rolled his eyes. He knew neither of them would give up that _easily_ – he just wanted to sit on his own chair. He was the boss, after all. Suigetsu was the first to catch up, milkshake still in hand.

"Good, but there's more" he said, leaning against the door frame. Sasuke waited until Kiba sat down on the chair across his own.

"Evidently," sneered. Suigetsu moved closer.

"So… I'm in need of a new assistant"

"No, you're not"

"That's why I'm here" Kiba intervened, with a foxy grin "And I've got a pretty good resume with me" dark brows drew together "Suigetsu already likes her. We just need the green light"

Sasuke leaned over the table and brought his hands together. "And might I ask whose resume is that?"

"Naruko's" a flash sparkled over his eyes. "She'll be his intern"

"You don't need an intern" he glanced towards Suigetsu. The light haired man shrugged.

"Cheaper than a secretary, don't you think?"

"C'mon, man" Kiba insisted "You know she's good"

Sasuke felt the back of his neck tingle. _She _is_ good._

"Besides, it's a college thing" he continued, ignoring the raven's changed expression "She needs it for the scholarship, ya know"

"Then why isn't she here, instead?"

"You know how she's like" the brunet admitted "Too stubborn to ask"

_Yes, I know what she's like,_ he thought. "Is this her first job?"

Kiba nodded "Real one, yes. But she's done some other minor stuff, too"

The Uchiha meditated for a few moments. In one hand, he couldn't care less for whom Suigetsu hired, as long as it didn't turn out a problem for him; on the other, the last thing he needed was Naruko there, five days a week. He did have a sexual attraction towards her, but their coexistence stopped there. When not having sex, her presence was nearly unbearable. They despised each other.

But, by turning her down, he risked raising suspicion from Kiba. After all, an intern – even a paid intern –, was far less bureaucratic and costly than a proper employee. It just made sense. He turned over to Suigetsu.

"And you're okay with that?"

The light haired's response was simple. "I've been told she's hot"

"Drop-_dead_ hot" Kiba corrected with a smirk. The raven took that as an end of subject.

"Do as you please, I don't care" he stated, turning his attention to his computer screen "Tell Sakura she'll start her new job immediately, and that she's needed here."

"Will do" Suigetsu saluted "See ya, boss" he added, leaving the office. His brown haired friend didn't move an inch.

"Dude, you're the best!" Kiba grinned. "Thanks for helping her. All companies turned her down, and the scholarship depended on this"

"Well, she can thank me by not making me regret it" he said, eyes still on the screen.

"She won't" Kiba assured. "I owe you one, bro"

Those words made Sasuke stop typing in the middle of a sentence. That was so familiar, common as the air they breathed, yet so distant. The Uchiha was always going out of his way to help the brunet out, one way or another. Either it was something stupid, as going to some club or using his surname to get restaurant reservations, or something serious, as getting him out of jail and even family issues. Kiba relied on him. Kiba _trusted_ him.

It's always been that way. As a kid, Sasuke had a hard time making friends, since he didn't believe in someone's good will of friendship – something Uchiha Fugaku made sure to pass on to both his children. But not the Inuzuka family, though. Kiba's mother, Tsume, was a childhood friend of his mother, which meant they were bound to become friends themselves. They grew up together, they did nearly everything together.

The only time in their lives Sasuke wasn't there was about two years before, when Itachi closed a significant deal, and both young Uchiha went away for a semester. Sasuke still remembered Kiba's last text message before the trip: _'Yo, remember that super-hot chick that's a friend of a friend? She's coming over tonight. To my apartment. Dude. I am so gonna tap that'_. Back then, the raven knew his friend well enough not to overthink it. He leaves Kiba alone for six months and look what happens.

The fuckin' idiot gets a girlfriend.

And not just any girlfriend, _no_. He managed to fall the one girl Sasuke had spent half a year climbing walls to forget.

_That's just how good she is._

If only he had left sooner, not allowed himself to get addicted, maybe he wouldn't be in this situation. On the morning after he met her, Sasuke woke up with a foolish smile glued to his face. He couldn't help it, his entire body felt amazing.

He opened his eyes to a mirror on the wall. There wasn't much to see from where he was standing, but Sasuke was surely lying horizontally by the end of a bed. White sheets were scrambled behind him, and in between them the raven could distinguish a pair of tanned legs. He could feel her heat behind the thin fabric, and hear her light breathing. The rest of the room was softly illuminated by the morning light, sneaking through the window across the bed.

It was awfully hot in there. Maybe not the room itself, but Sasuke and the blonde, whose name was still a mystery, definitely were. His dark locks were soaking with sweat, glued to his temples and neck, and he was undoubtedly sticky. The last thing the Uchiha wanted was to get up, but a cold shower was a good call. And maybe get some water, since his throat and lips were dry as the desert.

With extra care not to wake the girl, Sasuke sneaked out of the bed and picked his underwear from the floor. The room was a mess. The drawers were she kept her clothes were open, and things were spread everywhere. The raven also noticed how small the room was; a bed, a drawer and a mirror. That was it. Not that it matter, though. Sasuke would take a shower and leave. When he moved forward to the rest of the apartment, he realized that the place was, in fact, a studio flat.

_Less trouble for me, then_, he thought while stepping into the kitchen and opening the fridge, urging for ice-cold water. Sasuke rolled his eyes, for she only had junk food in there and no sign of water to be found. He did find ice, and served himself several times before feeling satisfied. He took some time to look around and see what kind of girl she was.

Not only her bedroom, but the rest of the apartment was also a mess. The sink was filled with dirty crockery, a piazza box from at least a week before was by the stove, and half of the small table dividing the kitchen from the living room was occupied with books and loose paper. Empty packs of instant noodle were spread until where his eyes could reach, and an orange ball of fur was comfortably accommodated on the two-seat sofa. It was a cat.

He chose to ignore the feline and the rest, walking straight into the bathroom. When he opened the shower, though, nothing happened. He looked up the wall, and tried twisting the two other shower handles, with no success. The raven was about to give up when it happened.

Something snapped, and a sound that resembled a gunshot followed it. The shower went on, and water started falling towards all directions.

"_MOTHERFUCKER_!" he yelled, vainly twisting all knobs in the wall, hoping one of them would work. It didn't.

"_What the hell?!_" the girl ran into the bathroom, wearing nothing but Sasuke's shirt. Her eyes widened after adding two plus two "_You _broke_ it?!"_

"_I didn't do anything_!" he replied, completely wet and angry.

_"Get the fuck out of my way!_" she snapped, pushing him aside to try and stop the water herself. _"There's a right way of starting this, you know!_" she cursed, doing nothing but getting wet.

_"How was I supposed to know that?"_ Sasuke shouted back, outraged. The girl turned at him, eyes burning.

_"Well, you should have fucking waited!"_

But the Uchiha was no longer paying attention. Her blond bangs were messily falling down her face, continually down to her body. The wet shirt had adjusted to her curves, and he could perfectly see every outline of her body. He stared back at her face, slowly perceiving every details of it, from her big cerulean eyes under the furrowed brows to the soft lips and blushed skin. She was mad, but God_, was she sexy_. The girl noticed his hungry glaze, and her features slowly softened – because she was now horny too. A blink and they were kissing again.

"_And you used to be such a good friend..." _Kiba's voice echoed.

Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek, he had to keep focus.

"You can just add that up" he replied, earning a snort from the brunet. "I think I'll start to charge these favors"

Kiba spread over his chair and winked. "You know I've got your back, brother"

Onyx eyes stared intently into dark chocolate ones. The Uchiha laid back, and his friend didn't mind the silent response. He was used to it. It was close to none the times when the raven allowed himself to get sentimental.

"Anyway," the other continued "Mom asked about you, she's wondering why you haven't showed up for dinner yet"

"I told you" Sasuke sighed "I've been busy"

"Yeah, yeah, she knows" he started to move his chair back and forth, like an uneasy child. "She's feeling lonely, with me and Hana away" he added with a sad tone "She has a lot going on"

"What do you mean?" he questioned. The bitter look on his friend face was good enough of an answer "What did he do?"

"Nothing yet," Kiba shrugged "But he's been calling a lot. She had to change all her phone numbers" his once sad tone was now angry. "I don't know what to do, man. Hana asked her to move in, but she just won't do it!"

"What about getting a restraining order?" he offered. The brunet rolled his eyes.

"Like you don't know my mother." he scoffed "We're trying not to leave her alone, but it's getting tough"

Sasuke pondered "That's why you're there all the time". Kiba didn't answer. "How long has this been going on?"

"A couple of months give or take"

"Why didn't you say anything?" the Uchiha said, lightly irritated. "Does Naruko know?"

"You guys have enough to worry about" Kiba explained "And Naru doesn't need to know"

"She's your girlfriend" he noted.

"I don't wanna drag her into this. She already has a lot on her plate" he shrugged again. Before Sasuke could protest, he changed the subject "But enough of that!" he sat straight, smirk forming on his lips "You know what's coming next week, don't ya?"

The raven rolled his eyes back to his computer. "I don't. And I'm certainly not interested"

"Fuck, man!" he whined "You only turn 22 once!"

"You said that last year" Sasuke remarked, disinterested. His friend snorted.

"Exactly! Then was 21. Now it's 22. Don't be an asshole. We'll go out, Suigetsu and the others too. We can go someplace where we can get body shots!" his chocolate eyes sparkled "Dude, we'll get you super wasted. It'll be frickin' awesome!"

The Uchiha rubbed his eyes and forehead, cursing every god he knew of. He'd been to that situation several times to know Kiba would end up getting his way.

"Just think about it" Kiba said, knowing this war was won. "I need to go, and you probably have work to do" he got up and stretched, foxy smirk still on "Catch ya later" he added before closing the door and walking out.

Now alone, Sasuke looked around and waited. He knew it was a matter of time until Sakura walked in, so he should do it now. Not that he owed her any explanations of his actions, but he praised his own discretion. He reached his hand to the compartment on his desk, opening it with a small key. Inside, on an expensive crystal bottle, lied his recently acquired trusted companion.

The only thing strong enough to silence the voice inside his head.

* * *

**_A/N: _**

_I hope this got you guys excited for what they've been through, there's a lot of background to explore._

_And reviews are always welcome :)_

_See ya soon!_


	4. Closer

_**A/N:**_

_Yeah, so, sorry it took me ages. I hate to be one of "those authors"_

_Huge thanks to IntellectualDweebette, my savior._

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Closer**

When Naruko woke up that morning, she wanted to scream. Her stomach pinched and writhed with the single thought of what her life would be like at the Uchiha Bank of Japan.

One of two things: it could go wrong straight ahead, and she'd be fucked by the end of the month or, it could build up to a wondrously bad ending for all parties involved, and she'd still be fucked, only later.

There were no plusses.

Yeah, payday did sound good, and keeping her so precious and needed scholarship were means to celebrate, but at what cost? Seeing the Uchiha bastard, six hours a day times five days a week? To see every trace of his body, perfectly outlined by some expensive suit? _Resisting_ the bastard one hundred and twenty hours a month?_ Gods fucking help her._

For more that her throat ached and burned, she couldn't scream. Her head was softly resting on Kiba's chest, and she used the safety of his snuggle to calm herself down. She could hear his heart, beating strong and steady like a drum. Even though she didn't want, she had to get up. The alarm clock would go off any minute. She tried to move without waking him up.

"Good morning, kitten"

Kiba shifted positions and hugged her from behind, cupping his chin by her shoulder curve, giving her neck small kisses. The warmth of his arms ran up her system, almost instantly making her feel better. Even the annoyance she felt every time she scrunched up her nose was bearable within his embrace. She smiled, moving slightly to lock her eyes with his.

"Good morning, handsome" whispered, "you slept well?"

She didn't get a reply. Instead, the brunet hummed an agreement and nodded, lips still tickling her skin. Naruko giggled lightly, eyes now wondering through his bedroom ceiling. The morning sun was reflecting the miniscule dust particles, colorful and shining. She could even hear a bird or two, on the three outside the window. The smell, his smell, was of sun kissed skin, and the warmth of it extended over to her. It felt like... home.

Kiba's lips were already so natural she didn't even notice he had moved. Not until his hands started to move as well, and they moved _her legs_.

"What-" she groaned and scratched the sheets "a-are you doing?"

Kiba looked up, with the most innocent fake expression he could pull off "Oh, my, eating breakfast, what else?"

Naruko peered over to the watch by the bedside, desperate to stop time. His skilled hands ran smoothly outlining her thighs up and down, as he maintained his chocolate eyes locked to hers, trying to hide the mischievous smile that was starting to show. The places he touched burned like wildfire, quickly running through her legs and stomach. This was a whole different kind of burn, not cozy and slow, but demanding and fast. Kiba glanced down for a second, faux innocence still in his actions and voice.

"Unless…" he continued hoarsely and she closed her eyes after feeling his breath in her inner thighs and through her panties. Damn, she could even feel _his smile_. "You're in too much hurry…"

Nearly panting, she looked down again, only to find him staring at her with his big puppy eyes. His chin was resting on her groin and she couldn't take it anymore.

They had plenty of time.

* * *

She peered before entering the kitchen. Ino was preparing herself some smoothie or something, jogging in place, shaking her head to the music in her headphones. Her light blond hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she was wearing the running shorts and matching top they had bought together (even though Naruko never wore hers to actually jog). The Yamanaka noticed she was being watched, and sent her friend a wide smile.

"Morning, Klondike!" she yelled, probably trying to hear herself over the loud music. Naruko smiled and moved closer. She gestured to her face, lowering her headphones "You look hot"

"Thanks, always thought purple looked good on me" she responded sarcastically, looking around, wondering what to eat for breakfast. Her eyes landed on the bowl with seeds, oatmeal and some other bird food her friend would eat. _Definitely not that. _"Where's Shikamaru?" she asked.

"Where do you think? The day I get him out of bed before 9 am will be the apocalypse" Ino snorted, pouring some green thick liquid into a glass. She gestured to it. "Want some?"

"Err," she analyzed it with a frown, opening the fridge for some milk. "No, thanks"

"Your loss. I'm going for a run around campus, you should come with me" blue eyes narrowed deeming Naruko's back "You know, that ass isn't getting round by itself"

"Excuse me!" Naruko turned to face the blonde, pushing Kiba's shirt as down as possible. "You leave my ass alone, Yamanaka. We don't need your judgment!" she added accusingly pointing her index finger.

"Argh, you're so _dramatic_!" Ino complained while the other made a disgusted face "A little exercise won't kill you!"

"I'm not taking any chances" she muttered back.

"You run with Kiba" her friend pouted. Naruko rolled her eyes and got the cereal box.

"We race, not jog" the Uzumaki clarified "Besides, I'm leaving to _work_-" she spat the word "in an hour"

Ino's bitter face lit up. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I left my makeup kit in the bathroom, so you can cover that pretty little decoration on your face" she giggled, but she was thanked anyway. "Have you changed your college schedule yet?"

"Not yet," the smaller blonde sat by the table, eating away a bowl of cereal "I'll deal with that later. I still need to stop home before going to campus"

"Studying at night will be a pain" she commented leaning over the table to stare at her friend. "But, not as much as working for Sasuke-boy" cerulean eyes rose to stare back, demanding the light blond to continue "At least, it gives you guys some… _bonding time_" she added teasingly.

"Tell me about it. But, thankfully, I won't be seeing him" Naruko shivered, but then narrowed her eyes "But is not like you would know, Miss _'I'm too good for college'_"

"Pff, drop it" Ino snorted "I don't have _time_ for college – it's different. And everything I need to know on botanics is either on my father's book collection, or online"

"All right," she shoved the empty bowl and brought her brows together "what about Shikamaru, are you just gonna let him finish Uni and leave you behind?"

Ino smiled insinuatingly "Don't make this about me, honey. I'm onto you"

Naruko waited. She knew her friend for long enough to know she didn't play these sort of games. If Ino were really _'onto her'_, she'd say it. This was something else.

"Anyway," she continued, tapping on the table "I need to get going, the first shift at the shop is mine" Ino ran towards the corridor that lead to the bedrooms, stopping by the doorframe "I'm going for my morning jog now!" she yelled, "you better be up and ready when I get back." She clapped her hands a few times "You hear me, you lazy fuck?" she waited. Naruko moved her head towards their direction, just in time to hear a tiny groan coming from Shikamaru's room. "Good." Ino nodded to herself, already jogging in place. She smiled at her friend while opening the door "Good luck today, Klondike. You'll nail it"

"Thanks, Ino" Naruko smiled back. It took her the time to blink and Ino was gone.

Gorgeous, blonde, and beautiful, Yamanaka Ino was Naru's best friend. One of the very few, actually, that befriended the Uzumaki when she was still an uneasy orphanage child. They met at the playground one afternoon and pretended to be sisters, for their physical appearance was very alike. They spent the entire day, arm by arm, pranking adults and other kids. When the sun was about to set and both girls were giggling and chatting, lying in the grass beneath a maple tree, Ino confessed that she had always wanted a sister, and how she was mad at her parents for not giving her one.

Being only ten years old, the little girl had no clue why her new friend got up and ran away. She was rather angry, actually, for the rudeness of the other. A week went by and the playground girl never came back. But, it was only that weekend that, while helping her father at their shop, she decided to describe the events to her dad after coming across a flower that reminded her of the girl. After a long conversation, Ino understood; the playground girl didn't have a mommy, or a daddy. So she could never have a sister.

She went to the park every day at the same time to wait for the girl, and every day she'd bring that flower with her. _Cosmos sulphureus_, her father had told her. It was bright and yellow, like the girl's hair. (But sometimes, it could also be orange – like the shirt she worn), so it was perfect. When the girl finally came to the playground again, Ino ran over to her and offered the flower with a promise: that from that day on, she'd be her sister, and they'd be together forever.

"_It's also called Klondike cosmos, you see," _she informed, smiling._ "It reminds me of you"_

Eleven years later, together they remained. Ino knew her like the palm of her hand, and yet she had no idea of what really went on inside the Uzumaki's mind.

_But then again, neither did she._

"Shower's all yours, kitten" Kiba spoke, drawing her attention. He was walking in her direction, drying his hair with a white towel. "We'll leave in half an hour, 'kay?"

She nodded, getting up "Okie dokie"

When passing through him, Kiba gave her a small peek in the forehead. It was a stupid thing, something he did all the time; something familiar. But it felt like a spark, triggering happy memories and sweet gestures, to come down on her like an avalanche. She felt her entire gut squirm.

* * *

For the entire drive to the Uchiha Bank headquarters, Naruko tried her best to keep calm. They barely exchanged two words. Luckily for her, Kiba mistook her silence for anxiety, and kept assuring her that everything would be fine. He'd even hold her hand whenever he could, which only made her few worse.

By car, the trip to her new job was short enough; Kiba had volunteered to drive her there in the first week, since he didn't want her leaving the Uni late at night to get the last train and, god's help him, get kidnapped, or killed, or worse – his words. After that, she'd have to make things work, since her apartment was closer to the company and she wouldn't make him take her there forever. Not that he hadn't tried.

She was just recalling their argument on the matter when Kiba's jeep stopped. Naruko moved on her seat to peer at the place she'd be spending a fair amount of time.

A word for it? Majestic. The building was huge; neat, elegant, powerful – everything one would associate to the name Uchiha.

The construction held an entire block. Everything was symmetric and perfectly cared. Facing directly at the building's main entrance, you'd find yourself before a straight concrete path, with a fountain at its middle. Around it, a well maintained and modern Japanese garden, with benches and sculptures here and there. As far as she could count, it had, well, _a lot_ of floors.

"It's huge" she whispered, face glued to the window. Kiba chuckled and cupped her face, turning her eyes to his.

"I can't go up with you, sorry. Stupid class with some stupid professor" explained while stroking her cheekbones "Don't worry about it, kitten" he leaned forward to kiss her lips. "It's only three months. You'll be fine"

"Yeah, I know" she sighed, enjoying how close he was. "I love you, okay? Don't ever forget that"

"I won't" Kiba laughed, kissing her again "love you too, beautiful"

Merely being on the sidewalk made her feel nauseous. She rushed through it as much as she could, walking straight into the building. It was very bright and sunny day, and Naruko had no idea how the men and women around managed to look so cool and comfortable in those black suits and all. She was only wearing a social shirt and tailored pants and barely could breathe. Her shoes weren't hers, thereafter they were incommodious as hell (not to mention how much she hated high heels), her blonde hair was up in a bun and she could already feel the foundation and concealer and all the makeup effort on her nose melting away.

Stepping inside was some would call a blessing. A curtain of fresh cold air felt over her, and she had to blink a few times to adjust her sight to the indoors lights. The floor was plain black marble, and the sound of steps was somehow muffed and not as annoying as usual. Straight across from the entrance, magnificently carved and displayed, was the Uchiha emblem, big and proud for the whole world to see. Naruko felt her mouth hang open as she stared at it, hypnotized.

No wonder Sasuke had such a giant stick stuck up his ass – his last name was above the emblem, large capital letters sculpted in fucking _platinum! _

People around could've sworn Naruko was drooling.

"Excuse me, you must be Uzumaki-san!" a sweet voice called, snapping the blonde from her astonishment "You're just in time!"

She followed the call and faced a lovely young woman, not older than herself, with aquamarine eyes and pastel pink hair. She was standing a few steps from Naruko, holding folders at chest high, soft gentle smile plastered onto her fair face.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, and I'll be your colleague for the following three months"

"Nice to meet you, Sakura!" she rushed to answer, extending her hand for an introductory shake. "But you call me Naruko, I hate these formalities!", added with a wide smile.

"Very well, Naruko," she gestured over to the Uchiha emblem on the wall behind her "pretty impressive, right? I've been working here for almost two years and I'm still not used to it"

"It kind of bugs me, though" the blonde admitted "I mean, are they trying to compensate something, or-"

Sakura laughed, "I hardly think Sasuke-kun needs any compensating". Naruko couldn't help but laugh as well – after all, she knew that to be _very_ true.

Wait.

"…What?" she blinked, and pinkish-red spread around Sakura's cheeks. She moved her free hand, as if denying whatever Naruko was thinking.

"Oh, nothing like that!" she affirmed, laughing rather nervously "I only meant Sasuke-kun is a very handsome man!"

"Yeah, right..." she furrowed her brows "_'Sasuke-kun'_, huh? So you know him?"

"As I said, I have worked here for quite a while" the pink haired started "We're friends, and since now I'm his new personal secretary, we might grow closer". Due the blush back on her face, she tried to lightly shake it off "What about you? Are the two of you close?"

Naruko fought a tremendous wish to snort. _Close._ "Not really," she shrugged "we don't get along very well"

Her new coworker sure seemed confused as why someone wouldn't like Sasuke-kun. Naruko chose to ignore it; after all, her thing with the bastard was a singularity.

"Well, anyway," Sakura continued, soft smile back in her features "we should get going. Your employee card should be ready by the end of the week, I believe." she started to walk, and the blonde took it as a cue to follow her "Until then, you'll be using the visitors card"

They stopped by the reception, and Sakura exchanged words with the woman behind the countertop. After a few moments, Naruko had her documents written down, her picture taken and her right thumb dirty with blue ink. For what she could see, there were two distinct areas for the employees to reach the elevators; one was the 'popular one', by the left side of the reception. It was guarded by a line of turnstiles and a few security guards, where most of people were heading to. The other, by the right side, had no turnstiles at all. It did though, had velvet ropes dividing it from the rest of the room, and a significant larger amount of big guys in black suits. And there was where Sakura was headed.

"Ahm, why are we going there?" Naruko asked, uneasy with the glares the security guards were sending her.

"It's for the _'high personal'_, literally" she replied, nodding to the said security man. Luckily, he let both girls walk through. She laughed at the blonde's expression "For the high workers, like Sasuke-kun and his brother, and all directors and important people" she added.

"That's ridiculous!" she scoffed outraged, while the other pressed the elevator button "Why would they do such thing?!"

"Security reasons," explained, not surprised with her sudden snap. "When I said literally, I meant it. Only these lifts go above the 50th floor."

"Oh," Naruko released, slightly ashamed "Sorry about that, Sakura-chan"

"It's okay. But I should say now," she paused so the girls could enter the lift "if you and Sasuke-kun don't get along as you say, try your best not to disrespect him, or anyone else above you"

Before she could assimilate what the other had said, they were distracted by a voice, a man's voice. He asked for them to hold the lift, which Sakura did. After he walked in, Naruko's eyes widen so much her orbs hurt. He looked just like Sasuke! How in the world was that possible?! Same dark hair, similar empty black eyes, cool front, the whole deal.

Forget that, how the fuck was someone _even paler_ than the teme?

"Thank you, Sakura-san" he said with a smile. "What an outstanding morning, don't you agree?" The pink haired nodded politely.

"It is, indeed" she moved her head towards Naruko "This is Suigetsu's new intern, Uzumaki Naruko"

"Oh, I see" he glanced her, and his still smile was getting under her skin.

"Nice to meet you" she said without meaning it. His resemblance to Sasuke was way too disturbing. He seemed to notice her tone voice, because his eyes pierced hers.

"Another dickless," he approved, or at least she thought so. "You'll fit just fine!"

"Am, Thanks?" she said unsure, looking for Sakura's support. The girl was rolling her eyes.

"Don't mind him, Naruko" she sighed, "His name is Sai. He's what we call an _exchange employee_"

"Exchange?" she repeated. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm loyal to another company – The Root Bank –, but I am here for diplomatic reasons," he explained with the same calm voice "Replacing another fellow worker who is now in my previous job"

Naruko's features were of extreme confusion. "Is that a thing?"

"It is here" Sakura shrugged, right before the elevator stopped. She hadn't even seen anyone press buttons. "Sasuke-san expects a report from you before dusk, Sai" she added before the man could leave. He merely closed his eyes, plastic smile never fading.

"I'll do my best, Sakura-san." He bowed his head lightly to both of them, "I wish the two of you a glorious day"

After Sai left, blonde brows furrowed and Naruko felt like punching him. With that tone, he might as well be wishing them a pleasant ride through a lava river in the depths of hell. She turned over to the pink haired woman, only to find her slightly amused. They were still going up, and the elevator had just passed the fifth third floor.

"Just don't bother with Sai," Sakura said, checking her own reflection on the mirror "you won't be dealing with him professionally"

"What was that all about?" she asked "Dickless, really?"

"He has some social issues," the other explained "He gives stupid rude nicknames for everyone" her tone became lightly bitter "Honestly, I'm not very fond of him myself."

That triggered the blonde's curiosity, "Why, Sakura-chan? What is yours?"

Sakura went rigid and cleared her throat before answering.

"That doesn't matter" she said firmly "We're here"

From what she could tell from the numbered buttons, there was only one floor above this one. Apparently Uchiha Sasuke had the entire fifth ninth floor to himself. She waited for Sakura to go first, and then followed her silently through the corridors. The windows were wide and made the rooms bright and relaxed, and, as far as her hearing worked, no sounds could be heard. Not even their high heels, and when she looked down she realized why; the floorboard was covered of a dark navy carpet – so flat you could mistake it for the floor itself. Nonetheless, Kiba did warn her very few people worked with Sasuke directly, so she shouldn't be surprised.

Sakura gestured to a large glass door with her head "There is the Operational Department," she explained "Kimimaro is the director of that section. He has four people working with him." continued as they moved past it "He's very quiet, usually just minds his own business with his team."

"And what are they like?" Naruko peered through the glass; behind it, a small path lead to a dark wooden door (most likely Kimimaro's office), and a pair of minor compartments on each side of the corridor.

"Not exactly friendly" she admitted "I try not to interact with them"

Not much ahead, they passed through a glass door leading to a compartment much similar to the previous one. The silver sign above it read Administration Department.

"Juugo is the head of Administration, with four subordinates as well" Sakura continued, "He's also quiet and extremely kind; I find him to be a very pleasant company." They were now reaching the end of the corridor, hence that last department. "I should warn, though," she said hesitantly "Juugo has… quite a temper. Definitely someone you don't want to see angry"

"I'll keep that in mind" the blonde nodded "That leaves, Financial"

The last glass door was exactly like the others, if you didn't count the only two compartments before the wooden door by the end of the corridor. Sakura pushed the glass and walked in, moving towards the compartment by the right. She placed the folders she had with her by the table and waited for Naruko to reach up.

"This is your desk." she informed with a smile "but you can use that one too," she indicated the compartment across the corridor, holding a giggle "since you're the only one working for Suigetsu"

"What? Really?" Naruko snapped, "Why?"

"Mostly, because Suigetsu doesn't actually _do_ anything" she sighed, evidently annoyed "He's Sasuke-kun's financial advisor, so he follows him to meetings and reads over some paperwork" her tone was almost of debauchery "He doesn't affect the big stuff – we have an entire department for that"

"Right…" she frowned, not knowing if that was a good thing or not "Is he nice, at least?"

The pink haired opened her mouth to speak her mind, but the beeping of the telephone on Naruko's new desk caught both their attentions. Sakura glanced the callers ID and rolled her eyes. She reached for it and pressed a few buttons.

"What do you want?" she said harshly.

"Fuck off, bitch. Just come in already," a man's voice came from speaker, as harshly as the woman's "we can hear you two gossiping from in here, you know"

She slammed the phone back on the hook and indicated the wooden door. "That'd be him. I have to report some things for Sasuke-kun first, but I'll be back" she sent her an encouragement smile "Go ahead, it'll be fine"

"Thank you, Sakura-chan" Naruko reached for her hand and squeezed it gently "For everything, really"

All the girl did was shrug "We girls gotta stick together. Just don't let him intimidate you"

Sakura squeezed her hand back and left after the Uzumaki nodded in understanding. She waited until the pink haired was out of sight to face the door to her boss's office. Instead of knocking, she walked straight in. _He already knows I'm coming, anyway_, she thought.

Inside, she found herself wondering why someone whose job was merely _advising_ needed that much space. A TV and a couch, _really_? She glanced over the two men on the other side of the room. One of them, whom she deduced to be Suigetsu, was loosely sitting by a comfortable white spinning chair behind a wide dark desk. He had light short hair and lilac mischievous eyes. Resting on a chair across from him was another man, but this one had a much calmer expression, orange spiky hair and reddish eyes.

They both seemed very young to be in such praised positions, but that shouldn't be news; Naruko was well aware Sasuke didn't like to work with people much older than him, and he had personally chosen these people.

"Holy damn!" Suigetsu spoke with a smirk "You really _are_ hot!"

"Thanks" she smiled back, "You must be Hozuki-san. I'm Uzumaki Naruko" added, walking towards him for a handshake. Instead of shaking, he kissed it.

"It is _indeed_," he said "a _pleasure_ to meet you, blondie. Please, call me Suigetsu"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Suigetsu" the blonde waited while her new boss drank something that looked like pink lemonade.

"Oh yeah, this right here is Juugo" he tapped the ginger man's shoulder. "Geez, man, where are your manners?"

"I beg your pardon, Uzumaki-san"

When Juugo got up, he nearly made Naruko jump. He was huge. Not only tall, but strong as well. Was this the man whom Sakura said to have a temper? Now she'd make sure to take _extra care_ to not step on his toes. She had to lean her head backwards to properly see his face.

"My name is Juugo," he said with a slight bow "Welcome to Sasuke's team, I'm sure you'll feel comfortable here"

"Thank you, Juugo" she reattributed the gesture. "Please, call me Naruko"

He nodded and returned to his seat. Suigetsu analyzed her from head to toe and gesticulated for her to take a seat as well. Distracted, Naruko scratched her nose.

"Whoa there, blondie!" the light haired man snapped, leaning over the table to better see her face "There's a little something in your nose there," he teased, referring to the bruising "Did you get into a fight?"

If Suigetsu was really like what Kiba had described, she could play along "Yeah, and if you think this is bad" she smirked, pointing to her own face "You should see the guys I knocked out"

"Awesome!" He laughed, making the chair move a little "I like you, girl. Much better than these bitches we have to deal here"

"You mean Sakura?" she asked with a brow raised "She seems pretty nice to me"

"Yeah, now" he snorted "Just wait and see."

"Just because you are rude and she reciprocates," Juugo said with a soft tone "doesn't mean she isn't a friendly person"

Suigetsu chose to ignore his coworker "What she told you?" he sucked the straw from his pink lemonade.

"Not much," the blonde shrugged "but she was kind and helped me out a lot"

He remained silent, plotting something. After a few seconds, the roguish grin was back "Then this will be your first assignment as my intern!"

"…Come again?" she asked, seeing Juugo sigh from the corner of her eye. Suigetsu rubbed his hands together in excitement.

"Be friends with her!" an evil spark ran through his eyes "Damn, I'll _finally know!_ Gods know I never got a thing out of the bitch-"

"Wait, what are you talking about?" she shook her head, trying to catch whatever he meant.

"Why, about Sasuke of course!" he scoffed, as if it were the most ridiculously obvious thing on the planet.

"What about him?" she narrowed her eyes.

"This is none of our business, Suigetsu" his friend berated, looking out of the window. Suigetsu, once again, ignored him.

"You don't know!" he laughed, finishing up his drink. She waited patiently while he slowly chewed on the straw. "They had this thing a couple of years ago, but they never talked about it" explained, leaning to look for something beneath his desk. After opening a few doors, he sat straight again, with a new drink in hand (a regular lemonade now). Naruko stared until he continued "That's the reason she started to work here in the first place. But everything's still kinda blurry because Sasuke refuses to talk about it, and so does she"

Naruko mulled over that information. "And you want me to find out" she concluded and his grin went wider. So did hers "I'm in"

"I knew there was a reason to hire you, blondie" he was so satisfied he bit his own lip.

Why didn't she know that? Sasuke'd never mentioned her before, not even to Kiba. So, if they really had a _thing_, why on Earth would the teme keep it a secret? Not that she cared about his relationships, _far from that_, but not even Kiba knew! (And she was certain Kiba was oblivious to this, because one of their hobbies was to gossip about their respective friends). Now, it was a matter of honor to find out what.

Suigetsu was apparently someone easily bored, for he caught her attention again. "Wanna see something funny?" he asked.

"Sure!" she laughed, still not believing how well this whole intern thing was going.

As Juugo restrained himself to his own personal world, Suigetsu reached over to his phone and pressed a few numbers, exactly like she'd seen Sakura do moments before. After a few beeps, she heard Sasuke's voice through the speaker.

"Heya, boss!" Suigetsu greeted, bringing his index finger before his mouth, letting Naruko know she shouldn't talk.

The teme was clearly not in a good mood. "What?" he said. _Well_, she thought, _when is he ever in a good mood?_

"Have you noticed my new shirt?" the light haired continued, not shattered by his boss's aggressive tone. He didn't wait for a response "Wanna know what it's made of?"

They heard Sasuke grunt on the other side of the line, and she could perfectly see him rubbing his temples. "I don't care. Just say what you want"

"Leave him be, Suigetsu" Juugo warned.

"C'mon, Sasuke!" Suigetsu whined "Just take a guess on what it's made of" he encouraged. No reply came, and after a few seconds, he smirked to Naruko before replying "Boyfriend material"

When Sasuke hang up, she could feel just how much annoyed he was. After the line went silent, both Naruko and Suigetsu cracked up laughing. She leaned on her back and held her own stomach. She couldn't believe her own luck, this was her new _boss_! she could't have asked for an easier task.

Damn, who knew working for the bastard would turn out to be this fun?

These three months would be a piece of cake.

* * *

By the time Naruko got home, the sky was already dark. She was supposed to meet Kiba for dinner, but he had an emergency and had to cancel. Something about his mom, and for more she asked, he insisted that it was nothing. She didn't buy it, of course, but decided to leave it alone. Kiba had been keeping his family business to himself over the past weeks.

On the other hand, her first day at work had gone incredibly well. She had a genuine hope that her time there could be good after all (despise the fact that she had not seen Sasuke that particular day, so it didn't quite count), and tried to focus in all the positive professional experience she'd gather from this. Just three months, she repeated, over and over again, while twisting the key and entering her apartment.

The blonde placed her mail over the kitchen table and her bags over the couch. From all letters and flyers, she got the familiar envelope from the anonymous remitter. She ran her fingers through the white heavy fabric, with that same guilt feeling she got every time she received it. Naruko read the words on the back of the envelop, as she always did, hoping this time she'd see something else. It wasn't the case. Sighing, she opened it to reveal what she already knew it would be.

_One hundred and sixty five thousand yens, cash*._

Naruko noticed something fluffy and orange moving on the table. It was her cat, and he sat down proudly, sending her a death glare enough to blow up mountains.

"Don't look at me like that," she grumbled "things have been crazy lately, and you know that"

The cat huffed and turned his back on her, walking away with his tail up. Blue eyes rolled, all these years, and that damn cat still surprised her with his _sensitiveness_. He was very picky and judgmental over things, and especially people. Take Kiba, for example. Her cat couldn't stand to be less than five meters than him. Her best guess was that Kiba had Akamaru's smell, and cats and dogs don't get along. Her cat did, though, like Uchiha Sasuke.

It was his first evening in her house, and they were sharing a rather odd position on her couch. She was on one side, he was on the other; the way they were somewhat together, one could do an effort and call it _cuddle_. Her cat was happily sprawled in the middle, getting endearment from both sides. Which was weird, considering they were easily upon each other's reach, but instead they chose to caress the cat, and not each other. They hadn't said a word for a very long while when he finally decided to speak.

"_What's his name?" _

She, who was nearly asleep, responded lazily. _"Kurama"_

"_That is a stupid name"_ he snorted.

Naruko used the same tone as he did to reply, _"So is yours"_

"_You don't know my name"_

"_Well,"_ she continued _"I bet it's a stupid one"_

Kurama moved between their strokes, as if demanding something to happen. There was silence before he spoke again.

"_Sasuke" _he said and she smiled. _It _was _a stupid name._

"_Naruko"_

The knock on the door startled her. Who on Earth could it be? Kiba was at his family home halfway across the city, and Ino was with Shikamaru, so it weren't any of them. It wasn't a stranger either, because the intercom hadn't ringed. Kurama jumped from the table and meowed for the door, only confirming to Naruko that it was someone he liked.

_That left…_

"You bastard!" she shouted, walking towards the door "What the fuck are you doing here? I thought me not going over to you at work today clearly displayed I'm not interested in seeing your pale fuckin-"

Naruko's words flew over her mouth after she angrily pulled the door open.

The man standing before her was _not_ Sasuke.

* * *

**A/N:**

_*that's approximately 1.500,00 US dollars._

_So, I'd like to say something about a review I received. It was anonymous, so…_

_Well, first of all, thank you for such a detailed critic. We don't get those very often. I agree with most things you said, and if I should say, a few of them are quite correct. You got me. What surprised me was your view on Naruko, and I guess that since I know why these things happen, I can relate to her, so it's nice to see some other opinions._

_Speaking of which, I noticed you guys have pretty distinct opinions on each character. That's a good thing to know._

_Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter and I'll make my best to update as soon as I can :)_

_(and constructive reviews always help)_

_See ya _


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